Macadamia Crusted Flounder

It was a fishy kind of day – flounder that is. I crusted it with macadamia nuts then pan-fried it. I had some of my bearnaise sauce leftover Chateaubriand With Bearnaise Sauce so I used it to dress up my flounder. Then I served it over a bed of wild rice and used more of my leftover asparagus as well. Once again, it was a perfect combination.

I like food with character. Part of that character comes from adding a crust to certain foods. You can make a crust out of breadcrumbs or nuts or even cheese and/or herbs and spices. I do them all on a regular basis. But this time, I ground up some macadamia nuts to make my crust.

Crusting food has been around since the ancient times. It was a way of preserving foods for longer periods of time, as well as adding extra flavor and crunch to foods. Breading or adding a crust of some kind can also act as a thickener to soups and stews too. There is some form of crusting meats, fish or vegetables found in almost every culture – like Tempura foods, which are Japanese; chicken Parmigiano, which is Italian; or Schnitzel, which is German.

Macadamia Crusted Flounder

You can use any kind of nuts you like. I almost always have a variety of different nuts on hand at all times. I just chose macadamia nuts this time. You can also bread any kind of fish you like too. The method is the same regardless of the type of nut or fish you choose to use. You can also play around a little with the seasonings. This time, I just made it very simple. Sometimes, simple is best.

3/4-1 cup macadamia nuts

1/3 cup flour

salt & pepper to taste

1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 egg

dash of milk

flounder filets, patted dry

Place the nuts, flour and seasonings in the food processor and blend until the nuts are ground fine.

Whisk the egg and the milk together and set aside.

Place the ground nut mixture in a separate bowl.

Pat the fish dry with a paper towel.

Dip the fish into the egg mixture to coat thoroughly, then press firmly into the nut mixture. Generously coat both sides of the fish.

Get a large skillet very hot, then add some olive oil and butter. Carefully place the fish into the skillet without crowding. Cook at a medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and a nice crust has formed.

Serve with whatever side dishes and sauce you like. It is delicious and easy-peasy; my kind of meal. 🙂

The bearnaise sauce went very well with the fish. I served it with white wine on the side. One of our own again, that we just bottled not too long ago. This time it was a nice, cool, crisp Pinot Grigio.

Even fishy days can be great days. It all depends on the kind of fish. Have a great day and make everyday a great day. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.